Plastic Safety Systems (PSS) President and CEO David E. Cowan says that the company will increase the sales responsibility of its direct sales force, and therefore will not renew its sales agreements with two of its manufacturing representative agencies, HMR Inc., of Butler Pa., and Manufacturers Agency Inc., of Cypress, Texas.

The principals, L.B. Gambrell of MAI, and Dave and Jeff McMaster of HMR, have represented the PSS line of temporary traffic control products in several states since 1995.

“This was a very difficult decision for us,” Cowan said in a written statement from the company. “We’ve worked with LB and Mac for a very long time, 16 years. They served the PSS brand well, through some really good times, and not-so-good times…LB, and Mac and Jeff, are real pros.

“We thank MAI and HMR for representing us,” he added. “Their performances, year in and year out, were exceptional. We wish LB, Mac and Jeff the best in all of their future endeavors.”

A few years ago, Cowan noted that it became apparent to PSS management that products then in development would require the sales force to spend significantly more time with state and municipal agencies than with traditional buyers of PSS products.

Unique in PSS history, RoadQuake Rumble Strip and SafetyRail ADA Barricade were the first PSS products for which there were few, if any, existing DOT approved product categories, or standard specifications, or traffic plans.

To develop those new products in state and municipal agencies, PSS added 3 new salespersons, in late 2010 and early 2011, to our direct sales force, bringing the total to 5. They now assume responsibility for the MAI and HMR territories.

To maintain effective representation in both the MAI and HMR territories:

From the MAI territory, Dario Alvarez assumes responsibility for Oklahoma and Texas, while Steve Walker has been assigned Arkansas and Louisiana. Steve will also cover North and South Carolina, and Florida, from the HMR South territory.

From the HMR North Territory, Kenny Kolberg will represent PSS in all New England and Mid-Atlantic states, except for Pennsylvania and New York, both of which have been assigned to Jeff Tidaback.